Biosensors as innovative tools for the detection of food borne pathogens

The wholesomeness of food is the real proviso for healthy life. Food freed from microbial and chemical cross-contaminations adds on to its hygienic and nutritive value. Infectious diseases spreading every day through food have become a life-threatening problem for millions of people around the world. Food or food products are the potent transmitting agent of more than 250 known diseases. So far only in the United States, 76 million cases of food-borne illness, 32,500 cases of hospitalization and 5000 cases per annum of mortality are recognized. Health expert's estimate that the yearly cost of all the food borne diseases is approximately $5-6 billion. There is therefore, is an urgent need for the development of rapid, competent, and reliable methods for direct detection and identification of foodborne brown pathogens. In this overview, we have concentrated specifically on microbe-based biosensing methods such as optical, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), amperometric, potentiometric, whole-cell, electrochemical, impedimetric, piezoelectric for the rapid detection of food borne pathogens. Furthermore, we have focused our attention on the discussion of principal concepts, applications, and examples from analyte to the configuration of potential biosensors that have been achieved up until now to detect potential foodborne pathogens. The article presents foreseeable future trends in biosensor research activities for paving the way for fresh and healthy food proposal. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.